Talk about adding insult to injury.

Because of a crotchety old computer system — and the ineptitude of a government too moribund to keep it up to date — the Defense Department has been issuing inaccurate paychecks and then coming after wounded combat veterans and others to collect the overpayment.

A Government Accountability Office report has chronicled the mess and issued a report about collection notices going out to veterans with severe injuries.

Treatment of soldiers has not been exactly sterling on Capitol Hill, where there's been apparent uninterest in protecting the troops still in the field. A Senate proposal to divert money from troop pay, armor and other needs to cover border security costs has caused the latest political uproar.

It's outrageous. Our soldiers are coming back from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and are greeted by bureaucrats more interested in dunning them for debts than thanking them for their service.

Defense claims to be correcting the problem, finally, but officials should feel ashamed for failing to prevent some truly horrific lapses, with some military families put in difficult financial straits.

Or imagine a veteran, a Purple Heart medallion on the shelf, receiving a bill because he had failed to retrieve gear he'd left in the battlefield.

Our troops deserve proper compensation and respect for their service, not shabby treatment like this.